A flying visit to the Borders

Popped up to Moffat to meet Nige & Steve who were on their way back from an early Scotland trip - quite an experience they had by all accounts what with punctures, sat nav induced mystery train spotting tour, a road gradually disappearing into a muddy track before their very eyes and being stalked by a mysterious french biker!! And it did nothing but rain as well.
I was meeting up with them on the last stop and travelling back home with Steve the next day.
Took a leisurely ride up with the weather fine, off the A1 at Darlington and stop in Corbridge for a drink and a bite at Grants bakery in the market square - three sausages in a bread bun and a coffee for £1.99 - its on my stop list for the future.

Breakfast on the go - good little bakery in the background, Grants in Corbridge

 

Parked up in Corbridge, filling up on sausage butties.

 

Its around 09:30, so go a little further up the A68 and then cut across towards Alnwick through Rothbury and up the road to Coldstream. I'd planned for a little bit of a wander west following the Tweed towards Moffat with a little detour to Scotts View and the William Wallace statue near St Boswells.

View from Scotts View. As you can see, the weather is holding, but it ain't going to last.

Mr W Wallace - 'Great patriot hero! Ill requited Chief!'. Thats what it says on the inscription anyhow.

Can you see what a Scotsman wears under his kilt?

I'm heading for the Glen Cafe near the Tibbie Shiels Inn on St Marys loch for a bit of snap. Rain starts as I come out of Selkirk, but more of a sprinkle to wet the roads. I stop and have a fry up whilst it starts to rain harder, so two drinks of coffee taken in order to spin out the time whilst its raining.

Glen Cafe

Old AA box at the turn off for the reservoirs road

Retracing my steps a few miles back from the cafe, I take the road at the AA box and go across the hills past the Megget & Talla reservoirs to pick up the A701 at Tweedsmuir. Rain is heavy now and the wind has picked up but its a sneaky little road with some good views, plus the run down to Moffat is a more sweeping A road and definitely sports bike territory - if there were any out in that weather that is.

Looking west over the Talla reservoir - looks like more rain as I'm heading straight towards the centre of this picture, down the hill and along the right hand bank of the water

Get to the B&B in Moffat, park up and then Steve & Nige turn up literally minutes later. I've had a nice 400 mile or so steady run up and around some of the Borders I've not been to before, so a good day in all.
Wash & brush up then into the town for food & drink, starting off at the Stag Hotel for a couple, then down to the Star Hotel for more guiness and some food, where I hear all about the previous couple of days goings on from the two intrepid travellers.